APR.MAG 2014
II
At page 3
Central
protagonists in
the catering that
changes
by Italo Nebiolo, president of CIC
As we anticipated in our last issue, with
regard to the balance between openness
and closure of shops, including
2013 confirmed the negative results.
According to the final of Movimprese,
9,000 of the more than 315 thousand
companies active in bars, restaurants
and cafeterias are missing. Added up
to less than 7,000 in 2012 to 16,000
negative balance carry the premises in
two years.
In greater detail, the bar has seen to
restrict competition by about 4295
units. A similar situation in catering,
where, however, there is a distinct step
between the traditional restaurant,
which loses about 4,000 signs and
the take-away that I lost “only” 593.
Reasons are to be found in the changes
of habits and consumption patterns in
relationship with food, but also for a
more rigid cost structure, as well as for
tax purposes and tax.
These data are the light of a caporetto
consumption of these two years, but
also a very low competitiveness of the
industry where, however, dominates
the small family-owned business with a
financial management often absent or,
when it exists, in the case of companies
capital, provides an over-reliance
on bank debt to manage, often, the
ordinary and not investment. Nothing
new under the sun, they say.
Instead, something new is happening
in front of our eyes. The speed with
which constantly changes the structure
of the supply chain commits us all to
be very careful at all times. Every ten
days can change the frame of reference
and what until recently was a stable
is upset because suddenly in a region
of a distributor ceasing activity, or
because suddenly stiffen suppliers
or even customers lower the shutter,
with the following outstanding that
you can touch with your hand. Of
course, the full operation of Article
62 is back on the whole supply chain:
the restaurateurs limit purchases to
everyday needs, distributors make less
inventory and try to schedule as much
as possible purchases, the industry
remains vigilant and is affected by latest
turmoil occurring downstream.
According to us from the Cooperative
Italian Catering, this situation has at
least three consequences.
First, it forces us to choose our
customers, focusing on those who have
the strength and ability to look farther
than to the difficulties of the moment
and to draw advantage indeed. Leaving
the more marginal situations has the
obvious advantage of increasing our
members, but also their customers.
Second, it gives us the opportunity
to occupy the space vacated by other
competitors, triggering a process of
growth that has its basis in sound
financial management and ethical
business relations.
The third makes us credible
interlocutors towards industry with
which to establish or strengthen
programs and projects to be
increasingly central protagonists in
restaurants and catering.
At page 6
News
The two faces of catering
“We are moving in Italy towards a social
structure that has a champagne glass
shape.” Says Bruno Berni, managing
director of CFI group, an international
research firm, whose thesis the
reasoning is that we are in the presence
of a strong divergence in society. So,
also in the system of consumption, next
to formulas that grow, such as discount
stores in the food retail or fast food
in catering, find space offers luxury
at 360 degrees, as the Prada building
under construction in Milan, where the
emphasis is the whole world of luxury
brands from products to art exhibitions,
with the inevitable restaurant. And
for a Eataly proposal that expands the
gourmand for sale and tasting (see
the double recent opening in Milan
with Eataly Smeraldo and two floors
of luxury in the store or for a Brian &
Barry) or Peck consolidates its position
as a temple of gastronomy, comes the
first mall all Chinese.
“Likewise horeca - Berni says - where
the big chains (for how long?) are
absent in Italy, we are witnessing
phenomena that go in the direction of
quality catering with the predominance
of aesthetics, thanks to television
programs on cooking terms that
have spread specialist as “Serve”, the
spectacular places such as pools &
restaurant Lugano 7 on the roof of the
headquarters of Dsquared in Milan,
the experience of California Bakery
and environmental sustainability of
the Dutch De Kaas.” On the front we
have exactly antithetical examples of
food value for money, where paradigms
are those of fast food, couponing as a
search for value at an affordable price
of the all you can eat (the Giropizza,
sushi at will, etc.) formula one dish, that
is, the local topic, from the pizzeria to
the cut (and only one) to piadineria, the
most recent Bracioleria or, in the café,
the Café Vergani.
According to Berni, therefore, the
directions in which to address the
supply side of eating out is quite
accurate, but, what is more, they are
polarized. Upwards, there is an offer
of craftsmanship, not endorsement, of
products “without”, (the wine without
sulfites, vegetables grown without
chemicals, and so on) or scientific diet
that rewards whole foods and vegetable
proteins. While, downwards we have
foods as a result of intensive farming,
the use of GMOs, and protein from
insects.
Speca Alimentari meets the
customers
It is an annual event, the one that Speca
Alimentari of Baveno organized to
present to the new and old customers
the new products for the season. During
the two-day meeting at a hotel on
Lake Maggiore, more than a thousand
customers are alternated to know and
enjoy the novelty cooked by the chefs.
“In particular this year - says the owner
Fiorenzo Santini - the attention has
focused on the two nine companies
Bonduelle and McCain, which have
entered the ranks of our suppliers,
as well as Caseificio Rosso, with its
range of cheeses from Val Sesia and of
bielleseı.”
It was also an opportunity to formalize
the relationship developed with Bindi,
the well-known brand of ice cream,
desserts and pastries, of which Speca
Alimentari has become dealer last
year in the season. “With Bindi - says
Santini - we have completed the
offer catering with a range of quality
proposals. A particular success has
been achieved by the line of dessert
“Americans” in portion size and
packaged one by one that offer an
effective response to restaurateurs also
in terms of cost control. On the other
hand - adds Santini - quality that is a
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